TUAREG, LEATHER CUSHION 54, Niger

PLEASE NOTE: This oval piece of decorated leather is a fragment
of what once was a complete cushion.

The Tuareg are fiercely independent nomadic people. On the move with
their herds and camels over vast areas of the southern Sahara, they create
an impressive world of traditional, functional objects of leather which
was their primary material due to its durability, lightness and flexibility.
Masters of geometric abstract design, the Tuareg fashioned objects ranging
from saddlebags to cushions to tent mats that were painted and molded, embroidered,
engraved and fringed.